Illuminating the world one paragraph at a time

The Best Gift (part 2)

Prior to this, when Jesus was taken to the high court, Peter had followed Jesus and the guards who were with him to the high priest. While he was there in the courtyard, his loyalty was tested and just as Jesus said he denied him- 3times!

The next morning Jesus was taken to Pilate the Governor the Jews knew that only the Romans were permitted to execute a person, so they had to do everything necessary to get Jesus crucified-including the leading priests throwing false accusations at Jesus. Pilate wondered “wouldn’t you defend yourself?” but Jesus said nothing, he didn’t respond to even one accusation. Would you look at that! he wasn’t quick to clear his name because his eye was on the price-you! what a man! Pilate knew Jesus wasn’t guilty, everything they had presented against him wasn’t enough to crucify him, so he wanted to let him go. He just couldn’t find any fault but the people and the chief priest were adamant and held their ground. I can just imagine all the excuses they came up with ” this one that has been causing commotion amongst the people upandan with all his preaching in Judea, ha! He even started in Galilee and ended up here”. When Pilate heard this he asked ” is he from Galilee? If so then this is Herod’s jurisdiction, take him to Herod” sharp guy, in his mind he had gotten reed of this people and averted their trouble little did he know.

When Jesus got to Herod, Herod was excited to see him, he had been waiting to see the miracle worker hoping that he would perform some miracles. Herod interrogated Jesus for a long time but he got nothing. Still Jesus didn’t respond and of course, the chief priests were there throwing accusations left right and center. When he didn’t get anything he began to mock Jesus with his soldiers. They dressed him in elegant clothes and sent him back to Pilate. I think Pilates thought to himself “which kin wahala be this?! I thought I had handled this”. While this could qualify as the worst day ever for some, a friendship was being birthed between Pilate and Herod who previously were enemies. Now Pilate could not avoid the issue at hand anymore he had to do something. He told them “with all these accusations I have examined this man and I didn’t find him guilty and neither did Herod, he has done nothing deserving of death, so I will have him flogged and released” they replied saying “crucify him!”. At the time there was a well-known prisoner called Jesus Barabbas and as a tradition every Passover Pilate lets a prisoner chosen by the people go, so he asked them “who do you want me to release? Barabbas or Jesus called Christ? ” they chose Barabbas ” Ah! No oh! take this man and give us Barabbas”. Ironically what Jesus was accused of doing (starting an uprising and stirring up the crowd violently against authorities) was what Barabbas did. So you can tell that they wanted Jesus crucified by all means possible *if only they knew*. Pilate kept insisting ” are you sure this is what you want? What crime has he committed?” but they replied, “Crucify him!” While he was sitting there he got a message from his wife saying- “Don’t have anything to do with death of this innocent man, for I have suffered a great deal in a dream today because of him” well since he saw that he wasn’t making head way with them and he didn’t want them to cause a riot, Pilate jejely washed his hands off the death of Jesus in front of the crowd and said “I am innocent of this man’s blood, it is your responsibility” the replied saying ” let it be, his blood is on us and our children”. Barabbas was released while Jesus was flogged and taken away by the Roman soldiers into the praetorium(the courtyard of the governor’s headquarters). They dressed him in a purple robe, put a crown of thorns on his head and put a staff in his hand. They knelt in front of him and mocked him saying “Hail the king of the Jews!” they spat on him and struck his head with the staff over and over again leading him away to be crucified. On their way, they seized Simon of Cyrene who was coming from outside the city. They placed the cross on his back and made him carry it behind Jesus. People followed Jesus mourning and wailing for him. I bet they were thinking what an injustice it was. The son of God, God in flesh took all this for you. WHY?